1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a date input device, and more particularly to a computer operated data input device which has a data format establishing mode and a data inputting mode. The input data can be processed on the basis of the established data format. The data input device according to this invention can be applied to electronic cash registers (ECRs) and inventory control machines.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
There is well known a data input device for use with ECRs which have such functions as data setting, report issuing, and ordinary item registration. The data setting includes setting of commodity titles and prices in a table provided within ECRs. The report issuing is carried out to produce a list of sales data of a day. The ordinary item registration is carried out to register the department codes or item codes of items sold together with the sales amount. These functions are performed by the use of a keyboard, printer, display, memory, and CPU which are all provided in ECRs.
Heretofore, when an operator wanted to know the total volume of stock items according to an inventory list, he had to calculate it using a calculator because ECRs work no more than to operate on the basis of predetermined computer programs. The conventional ECRs had to go through modifications in terms of computer programs if required to function as calculators for calculating the total volume of stock items.